Shirayuki
by Ashurato
Summary: Yullen. AU. What was dear to him, he lost long ago. With the desire to retrieve it, Allen plays a role not meant to be his. A role that Kanda swears to break.
1. Prologue

Shirayuki

--

Prologue

--

In an endless sea of black, it is white that stains. White that is cursed. White that taints and sullies the mercy that oblivion brings. It is a deceitful color, blinding the innocent with its brightness and promises of light. It is a Pandora's Box, imprisoning all the maladies of men within its bejeweled structure.

And yet hope still lies among the sins.

--

General Cross took a long, slow drag from his cigarette as he glared at the small body blocking his path. The child's hair was a shocking snow-white, paler than the toxic smoke of his addiction and more radiant than the soft ice crystals that covered the ground in bitter winter.

This broken child belonged to this colorless, static world—a testament to the harsh realities of life where the guiltless are devoured in the wake of destruction.

"What an inconvenience," growled Cross as he made to turn around and change direction. He had almost succeeded in erasing the regretful-yet-common incident from his mind, but a slight movement from the otherwise silent child caught his eye and froze him in his tracks.

The boy—as the child proved to be male despite initial impressions—raised up his head to reveal a hauntingly beautiful face. The dirt and bruises that stood out against the white skin told their own story of a harsh life and abuse. The glassy silver eyes saw without seeing as if darkness was more familiar than light.

But the white child was also stained another color.

On the left side of the child's pale face ran a blood-red wound, still fresh and bleeding hot crimson drops upon the snow. But Cross was not stunned by the grave injury, he had seen much worse on far younger children during the course of his travels, after all.

What stunned him was the smile on the boy's face. Cross had seen tears run as strong and plentiful as rivers, but never with the signs of such hopelessly complicated optimism. The boy's gentle smile belied the horrors and pain hidden in the cloudy silver eyes. The boy knew what it felt like to be abandoned and confined.

Yet all he knew how to do was smile.

A disgusting feeling of sympathy rose up from within the crimson-haired general's chest, worming its way into his heart and gnawing at it like a disease. Cross could not suppress a grimace at the unfamiliar emotion, but before he could fully comprehend the situation, he had crouched directly in front of the small boy and held out a hand.

"Can you stand?"

The boy nodded and didn't hesitate to take out the man's outstretched hand with his left hand.

"You're too trusting, boy." Cross sharply reprimanded the snow-white child, but the acidity normally lacing his tone died from his lips when he saw that the hand he was holding was colored a dark red. But instead of being revolted by it, Cross found the deformity intensely fascinating. He turned his attention back to the child's face and what he saw caused irritation to tear at the frail bonds of his short temper.

The child still smiled.

"If you have nowhere to go, you can follow me from now on," said Cross as he started walking forward. He did not need to turn around to know that the boy was following him. "Can you speak?"

"… yes…" The soft reply was given by a voice that was unsteady from disuse.

_'Or overuse from screaming,'_ thought Cross bitterly. "What is your name?"

As soon as he asked the question, the sound of footsteps behind him ceased completely. He turned around to repeat himself but stopped when he saw the boy's face cast in shadow, the annoying smile, gone as if it never was.

Cross took another deep drag from his cigarette but kept his sharp eyes upon the boy. This boy was going to be the death of him. But he was going to crush that fake shell even if he had to subject him to tortures even worse that what the child escaped from.

"What is your name?" The tone he used was sharper this time.

The boy froze and slightly quivered with what looked like fear. He hesitated to answer, but just as Cross' temper was about to snap, a quiet, steady answer was heard from the boy.

"Mana. My name is Mana Walker."

The blood that dotted the ground was joined by tears as the child resumed walking forward.

--

End prologue

--

Author's Note:

- This is just a short prologue for now as this is my first dalliance with D.Gray-man. But this is definitely not my first time dealing with slashing pretty boys. I seem to just be drawn to characters with similar personalities to Kanda and Allen.  I find them easiest to write.

-  _Shirayuki_means "Snow White" like the princess… but don't think that this is going to turn into a fairytale. The chapters will be longer in the future, but this background is needed. There are similarities, but please note that this story is AU.


	2. Chapter One: White as Snow

Shirayuki

--

Chapter One – White as Snow

--

Mana Walker was nine years old when Cross found him wounded and abandoned against the snow. Even after a year of travel together, Cross had not yet managed to crack the boy's wall in the form of an earnest, polite façade. Everything that Cross had demanded of the boy, the child had accomplished to his grudging approval. And if Cross was anything, he was practically impossible to please. And a womanizer.

And he used Mana's looks toward those exploits as well.

But Cross was not satisfied. Mana treated everyone with the same politeness that both drew people in but kept them at a distance at the same time. All people aside from beautiful women in the process of being charmed by Cross would prefer to converse with the boy. Even Timcanpy, Cross' tiny golden golem, had begun to attach itself onto Mana more frequently than to Cross. Those individuals who come to terrorize Cross into paying his debts would often visibly melt when confronted by the child, especially since Mana would actually work to pay them off.

All in all, Cross found life… "BORING!!" He shouted, pointing his gun towards Mana. "That fake smile of yours is becoming despicable."

Mana's smile faltered as he was actually startled by the gun his short-tempered master raised towards him. In his surprise, he dropped the bottle of fine wine he was holding and it shattered into a million fragments of glass on the floor. There was a moment of silence before a roar of fury burst from Cross' mouth and he loomed like a crimson devil over the poor child.

"You idiot! Do you know how much that bottle of wine costs! And look at it now! It is wasted!" snapped Cross as he quickly traversed the distance between him and the boy, grabbing another bottle of wine along the way.

Of course Mana knew exactly how much the wine cost—he paid for it after all, but the rage in his master's face was still of demonic proportions. The look of terror on Mana's face was nothing short of utter dread. It was the look one would give if Death itself was approaching to retrieve one's soul. But of course, in Mana's world, his raging drunk Master invokes more horror than death. He shut his eyes and braced himself for the severe lashing he expected would descend upon him.

The familiar sound of a bottle smashing upon the ground startled Mana, but when the pain never came he opened his eyes. All he could see was the second bottle's glass remains among a puddle of wine on the floor. His eyes then snapped to his master's face, where rather than the demonic snarl that warped the handsome face moments before, a mischievous, mocking smirk of triumph twisted Cross' lips and glittered in his eyes.

"Idiot student," Cross snorted in disbelief at the look of utter confusion painting Mana's face. "You're not smiling that ridiculous smile anymore." The smirk widened as Mana's confusion turned to righteous outrage.

"Master that was not fair!" groaned Mana upon realization that he had been tricked. "I'm not always smiling."

Cross took a sip of wine from his glass and fixed an eye on his fuming student. "Yes, I'm quite familiar with your other expression as well: blank. Think of these as your lesson for today: terror and anger. Aren't you glad to learn something from your great, knowledgeable master?" It was quite the breakthrough for Cross despite his mockery of it. He smiled even as he watched a seething Mana attempt to calm himself down. He then stood up and grabbed his coat. "Who knows, maybe tomorrow I'll teach you all about women and pleasure."

"I have no intention of going where you do with those women," Mana said flatly as he began packing their belongings. The last time Cross tried to "teach" him that particular "lesson," Mana had been besieged by cooing, overly-perfumed women who found it proper to coddle and suffocate the snowy child against their ample bosoms. It is another common source of Mana's recurring nightmares. "And there are still master's debts to be repaid."

"Such intelligent words and strong work ethic for one so young!" laughed Cross. He ruffled Mana's white hair and made his way out the door. "Get to bed early tonight. We have a very important place to be tomorrow." That having said, Cross closed the door behind him.

Mana was taken aback by that statement. General Cross had never expressed any sense of either urgency or desire to go anywhere before. His skepticism was not unfounded however, for although Mana respected his master greatly, the man was not exactly the prime example of a role model. Completely the opposite of…

"… Mana…" The boy whispered as he made to clean the spilled wine. "What would you do?"

From the other side of the door, Cross lit a cigarette after hearing the boy's softly whispered pleas. He had been aware early on that "Mana" was not the name of the child. One does not often cry out one's own name in heartbroken despair in the midst of sleep. But Cross still pretended to give him the benefit of the doubt. The child had his own painful reasons in doing so, of that he was certain.

Cross let out a breath and watched the smoke dissipate like fine dust on a windy day. His musings were then interrupted by the ring of a telephone a few feet to his right. He grasped Timcanpy from the folds of his robes and activated the dormant golem into life before connecting it to the phone. Cross then lifted the receiver to his ear and addressed the other person on the line with an indifferent tone. "What is it?"

"General Cross, it is about the boy currently travelling with you. You have received a new mission from Headquarters, if I am not mistaken?"

"Get to the point," snapped Cross, hating when they wasted time with such formalities. His frustrations were not sweetened by the fact that his last cigarette was close to burning out. "I already told you morons that the brat won't be coming with me."

"We understand that, but the boy still indirectly poses a problem."

Cross raised a disbelieving eyebrow at the tentative reply. "Oh? And why is that?"

"General Yeegar was killed this morning," reported the other person on the line.

Slowly, the formerly prized cigarette fell from Cross' lips and lay forgotten on the floor. Cross' eyes dilated in the dark as shock settled in at the news of the death of the oldest and most esteemed of the Five Generals. "How did he die?"

"His heart was missing. We have neither witnesses nor evidence to point towards the identity of the murderer, but we have our ideas." After the reply, neither side spoke as the brutality of the situation settled over them like a heavy cloak. Sanctuary was nowhere, not even among those who held power.

Cross finally broke the thick silence. "Komui."

"Yes, General Cross?"

"I will take over for Yeegar, but you will not monitor me," replied Cross with a commanding tone of voice. He was asking for a lot, especially with the death of a General, the security demanded by Headquarters will increase exponentially. And yet he needed to walk this path alone. Cross could already hear the outcry against this proposed plan rising from among Komui's people, but he was mildly surprised when the dissent was efficiently shut down.

"Very well, I will personally see to it…"

"Then I leave it to you."

"And the boy?"

Cross' lips twisted to a smirk as he vainly tried to suppress his sadistic impulses. "Do not worry about the boy. He will be left in safe, capable hands."

The general had hung up the phone and left before Komui's mind could even process and ask more questions about the furtive nature of his reply. He could not waste any more time and he had work to do.

"Tim, I'm counting on you."

The golem showed as much approval as it possibly could and Cross laughed. Of all the living creatures that seek to understand even the slightest whit about him, only the tiny golem truly knew his motivations.

Cross chuckled. "Mortals can be such idiots."

--

Mana woke to the sensation of flapping wings near his ears. He rubbed his bleary eyes to clear them of sleep and saw Timcanpy nudging itself against his cheek to rouse him. He yawned and got on his feet to pull back the curtains when he realized that several things were not as they should be.

Without the sadistic, boisterous General Cross Marian, the room looked decidedly empty. Mana sighed. This would not be the first time the crimson-haired general had left him to his own devices for the sake of escaping his debts and cavorting with women. But taking another look around, Mana saw the apparent gravity of the situation when all of the wine bottles left intact from yesterday's escapades were suspiciously missing. As the reality sank in, Mana stiffened and dove for his small suitcase. He leafed through the large pile of receipts and even larger set of bills, searching for the envelope where he kept the money safe from Cross' often profligate spending.

Terror made way for anger when Mana realized that the envelope was gone. He sighed in defeat, but when he moved to close the suitcase, the edge of a particularly crisp, white envelope peeked out from the edge. As he pulled it from the pile, he immediately knew that the envelope contained something other than money.

"Tim, what is this?" Mana asked the golem before putting down the envelope on top of his suitcase. The golem flew down and bit one corner of the envelope to turn it over. Written on the back side was a name that was unfamiliar to Mana.

"General Froi Tiedoll?" Mana read questioningly. He looked towards Tim with a puzzled glance and the golem immediately opened its mouth to reveal a train ticket. "You want me to deliver this letter to him?"

Tim nodded as its favorite human/chew toy took the ticket. Mana took a look at where the ticket was headed for and the time of departure, wondering when Cross had even bought it. "Train for London, leaving at 8 a.m. today." Mana quickly glanced at the clock on his nightstand and as if mocking him, the long hand clicked to relay a time of 7:56 a.m.

Mana violently finished packing and tore towards the station before the murderous desire to curse General Marion Cross' head off could be completely processed in his ten year old mind.

In the distance, said general felt a cold, malicious chill sweep through his figure.

--

"Yuu." The kind General Tiedoll adjusted his glasses and smiled at the scowling face of his adopted son.

"What do you want, old man?" It was all Kanda could do to keep his thirteen year old self from snapping expletives that he knew Tiedoll did not approve of.

Tiedoll's eyes twinkled as he drew another graceful charcoal arc on his canvas. Kanda was always so much fun to tease. "What would you say if I told you that you are going to have another brother?"

Kanda did not hold back his growls at the announcement and his scowl became an outright glower. "What you choose to do is up to you, old man. But if you ask me, you already have too many idiotic troublemakers running around." He glared at the forms of the hyper Daisya and more composed Marie flying kites outside.

"Oh Yuu, I never thought of the three of you as idiotic troublemakers," sighed Tiedoll. "You are all my very cute sons."

"_Three of us!?_ Don't group me together with those morons out there!" raged Kanda as his fingers itched as the desire to draw his katana and demand retribution for the insult grew overwhelming. But knowing that he would never harm his adopted father, Kanda stormed out in a huff, followed by soft, amused laughter from Tiedoll.

Tiedoll wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes with a handkerchief. Despite his own wants for his children, his sons always grow up too fast that they reach the point where they are no longer affectionate with their father. His thoughts continued even as his golem approached him with a message from General Cross. Despite the fact that the tragic news of General Yeegar's death was still fresh, Tiedoll was thankful to him for granting him another son.

Maybe this time, his new son might enjoy being spoiled by his father.

--

End Chapter One

--

Author's Note:

- Thank you for the lovely reviews. Here is the first chapter of the story, as the prologue must not have contained too much to really say anything about the story. I got this out quickly, but as the rest of the chapters come out depending on how much time (and motivation) I have to write, they will take longer. But I didn't want to leave such a small tidbit for my readers.


	3. Chapter Two: Red as Blood

Shirayuki

--

Chapter Two – Red as Blood

--

The snowy-haired boy took deep, gasping breaths as he collapsed in the seat of the surprisingly comfortable cabin General Cross reserved for him on the train. He barely made it and had thrown himself into the train doors just as they closed. Timcanpy would have been left behind if the little golem had not clamped its teeth on to Mana's shirt. The attendants of the train were originally skeptical of a young child travelling alone until the sight of the golden golem made their faces brighten with understanding. Mana and Timcanpy were then led into a train cabin with a silver insignia of a cross on its door.

Rather than feeling pleased by the turn of events, Mana only grew suspicious. A luxurious cabin like the one he and Tim were riding in was bound to cost a pretty penny. He and his master had ridden in them before, but knowing what he knew of General Marian Cross, Mana had expected to be left to fend for himself. Thus, the overwhelming sense of doubt and apprehension.

Mana's suspicion did not lessen when a female train attendant came in with fluffy pillows, a blanket, and a cart full of delicious food. The woman looked confused for a moment before recognition set in her features at seeing Timcanpy. She smiled warmly at Mana.

"First time travelling to London, dear?" she asked before she set the cart before the boy and the blanket and pillows next to him. Timcanpy looked torn between burying itself in the pillows or the cart of food, but it settled for diving straight into a pile of syrupy waffles.

"Yes, miss." Mana nodded affirmation as he vainly tried to pull Tim from eating something that was not theirs. But the golem deftly evaded the hands and even had the audacity to drop a bunch of large grapes on Mana's lap, indicating for him to eat. "Tim! Stop that!"

The woman laughed good-naturedly after realizing what he was trying to do. The snowy child was definitely not how she imagined the apprentice of General Cross, who took what he wanted, would look or behave. She patted Mana's head, marveling at the pure-white strands before pushing the cart closer. "It is no problem, child. It is a long ride to London and you will need your strength. General Cross would not be pleased if you end up becoming ill… though I am not surprised that he is not with you."

Startled, Mana looked at the woman. Was she one of the General's legions of admiring and heart-broken women? "But we have not paid for any of this, miss. I am not even certain if we should be here, for I highly doubt that my master would spend this much on me when he can barely fend for himself."

At the boy's earnest answer, the woman could not suppress a chuckle. "My dear, you have travelled with him and yet he has taught you so little. Generals and those who carry their cross or their golems are free to ride and stay anywhere in the free world. They are allowed these luxuries in return for the Black Order's protection in the war. The silver cross outside the door indicates that this is to be reserved for such individuals—yourself for one."

Mana's expression turned dark. "I should have known." Of course his master would take advantage of his position. He would readily play the role of a caring master as a ruse for not having to pay for anything. At the woman's urging, Mana reached for a plate of donuts and thanked her.

"Stay safe in all your travels, my dear. General Cross is infamous for abhorring London, after all." With that, the woman left, closing the door quietly behind her.

Between Mana and Timcanpy, the loaded cart was dispatched of in record time. Seeing as there was nothing more to do aside for waiting to arrive, Mana lay down on the seat and placed a pillow on his stomach for Timcanpy to rest on. The satisfied golem appeared to let out a contented sigh and snuggled down on its fluffy bed. It wrapped its tail around his favorite human's wrist as said human stroked its head.

"It's just us now, Tim. Did master leave any other information with you?" asked Mana.

Timcanpy gave a faint nod before turning its face up and opening its mouth. A hologram of Cross appeared in the space above and Mana had to quell the murderous feeling that rose inside upon seeing his master's carefree smile. Then, the image began to speak.

_"Mana, by the time you get this message, you must be on the train to London and I am far, far away."_ For the first time in his life, Mana was desirous of decking someone right in the face, politeness be damned. _"I received a call from headquarters last night and received a mission that I cannot take you on."_

"Since when has he listened to anyone?" whispered Mana disbelievingly. He was quite familiar with the variety of excuses Cross has used to explain his actions in the past. But he ignored the growing annoyance and listened more closely.

Cross' image lit a cigarette from what looked like a new box and took a few drags before speaking again. _"Whether women or children, young or old, the enemy we face does not discriminate in its killings. The 'important place' I mentioned we were headed for last night was General Yeegar's sanctuary, but the old man had gotten himself killed."_

That startled Mana. Although he never met the man personally—General Cross tended to stay far away from anything and anyone directly affiliated with the Order—Mana knew that the death of a General dealt a heavy blow. It was no wonder why General Cross had to leave so quickly.

_"In your briefcase, there is an envelope addressed to General Tiedoll in London. Tim will show you the way there. I also sent him a message, so he will be expecting you. Stay out of trouble."_ As the image started to fade, Mana saw Cross slightly waving what looked like a bulging envelope. It was the same bulging envelope where he hid all of his earnings in order to pay off Cross' debts. Now he was stuck with all the debt and with no means of paying them off.

"You're a demon, Master!"

--

Tiedoll hummed a tune to himself as he finished painting the landscape of a snow-capped mountain with a wide sky on the walls of what was to be his fourth son's room. Although the room was small, it was filled with light that was streaming through the open windows and reflecting off the pristine white furniture. Tiedoll thought it to bear resemblance to a blank canvas, awaiting a painter to brush the colors of his inspiration across its awaiting surface.

And that child was arriving today. The normally composed General could hardly contain his excitement and the entire household from his sons to the servants knew it. The poor child was going to be coddled to death.

Having completed his task to welcome the child, Tiedoll retired to the garden which was conveniently empty of his other three sons. He wanted them all to get along despite Kanda's "shy" demeanor, but he also wanted to spend some time with the boy first. He wanted the boy to have a sense of comfort and trust before the lions were let loose.

Tiedoll did not have to wait long. Not an hour had passed when Miranda, the housekeeper, came and told him of the arrival of a small child bearing a letter addressed to him. Tiedoll nodded his thanks and when Miranda left the room, he was left face-to-face with the young boy.

Cross had not provided any description of the physical features of the boy, not even a name, and Tiedoll had so readily and without question agreed to take care of the child that all other formalities and reservations were erased from his mind. But nothing could have prepared him for the shock of white hair unbefitting a young child and the crimson scar slashing down the boy's left eye. Like Cross, Tiedoll could ascertain the boy's past, written on his body by his scars—and the story was not a happy one. And yet, Tiedoll's gaze grew soft and adoring, for this child's smile was the most beautiful he had ever seen.

Mana bowed slightly before tentatively approaching the bespectacled man.

And so polite too, thought Tiedoll. He was rather surprised by the initial demeanor of the quiet boy. Having that beast of a General as a master, he had expected the boy to have taken after the crimson devil. Thankfully, it was the complete opposite. But the boy was awfully thin and tired. "You can step closer, child. I am not going to harm you," smiled Tiedoll as he beckoned Mana to stand closer to him. "Welcome, my boy. I am Froi Tiedoll. May I ask what your name is?"

"Sir, my name is Mana Walker." Mana gripped the handle of his suitcase more tightly and handed the envelope to Tiedoll. "General Cross Marian had told me to deliver this message to General Froi Tiedoll. Please accept it." Mana could feel Timcanpy struggling to free itself from his pocket. He had hidden the golem after several "incidents" involving debtors recognizing the golden golem to be Cross' and leaving his bills to Mana along the way to Tiedoll's abode.

Amused by what was going on before him, Tiedoll watched as Mana discreetly tried to suppress the movements of the rambunctious golem before using a chisel to open the letter. He adjusted his glasses to read and was not surprised to see the short, succinct note. Cross never was a man of many words, after all.

_Tiedoll__,_

_I'm sending a brat who calls himself Mana Walker your way._

_He may be an idiot student, but take care of him. I have a_

_mission__ at the front lines._

_Cross_

Tiedoll sighed and rubbed his eyes. He never did like General Cross' treatment of his disciples. This boy was the youngest, but he has lasted the longest under that man's non-tutelage and that feat itself should be commended. And what an adorable son he was going to have!

A sharp yelp of pain and a sudden rain of paper cut Tiedoll's musings short. Cross' golem had managed to free itself of its prison, but Mana had fallen as he tried to catch it, causing his suitcase to burst open. Tiedoll jumped from his seat with worry and bent down to help the boy get back on his feet.

"Are you all right? Are you hurt anywhere?" Tiedoll fussed like a mother hen as he examined Mana for any wounds and bruises.

"N-no. I am fine, sir," said Mana with a hint of discomfort. He was not used to this kind of worrying general after all. He was even more startled when the general pulled him close to a hug.

"Mana, my boy, you are safe here now," whispered Tiedoll, letting the boy go. "General Cross has left you to my care, I assume he told you at least that much?"

Mana nodded tentatively, remembering the video recording Tim showed him. "Thank you for allowing me to stay in your home. I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience I may have caused."

Tiedoll's eyebrows shot up in his surprise. "Inconvenience?" asked Tiedoll. Was that what the boy thought himself to be? He then noticed the papers littering the ground that had spilled from Mana's suitcase. A particular one, heavily marked with bold, red "PAST DUE" stamps, caught his eye. He picked it up and his eyes widened at the rather hefty price tag for… a brothel?

"Mana, aren't you a bit young to have these kinds of interests?"

"It's Master's!" Mana gasped and covered his face with his hands, red with mortification. He had not meant to raise his voice at the kind general, but his trials from General Cross' guardianship were still fresh on his mind.

Tiedoll was taken aback by the passionate outburst from the formerly reserved child. Cross must have left the child traumatized with all his debts while he went off gallivanting and living outside his means. One thing was for certain, thought Tiedoll as he curiously noted that Mana only wore one glove, he would never return this child to that demon.

Mana slowly lowered his hands from his face when he felt the man begin to pat his head. It was an unfamiliar feeling, yet comforting at the same time. The last time someone had done this to comfort him was when he was still with that precious person.

"Mana."

"Yes, General Tiedoll?" Mana gave the general his full attention, ignoring the carpet of bills surrounding them.

Tiedoll held up the bill and gestured around him. "Did General Cross leave all of his debts to you?"

"Yes, sir," Mana could not completely erase the bitter distaste from his voice and Tiedoll's eyes sparkled with merriment when he noticed it. Mana began to gather up all the bills and realized that the general had helped him clean up when he turned around to pick up the rest. He reached out a hand to retrieve them from the older man's clutches, but Tiedoll held on to them fast. Instead, he plucked all of the remaining bills out of Mana's hands and added them to his pile.

Mana began to utter a complaint, but Tiedoll was more interested in looking over the bills. Because of the great number of papers, it took the general a while to get through to all of them, but when he finished, he let out a sigh and put them on the table. He was amused to see Mana's stricken face as the boy fumbled for something to say. "S-sir…?"

"Children your age should not be burdened by debts, especially not someone else's debts," said Tiedoll sternly. "Consider these paid for. I will deal with them myself."

"But sir! You can't!" Mana's pale face was growing as white as his hair.

"You don't have any more of his bills, do you Mana?"

To Tiedoll's unending amusement, Mana's hands flew protectively over his pockets and he stepped backwards. But as Mana felt the cloth of his pants, he realized that they felt strangely empty.

Timcanpy emerged from behind Tiedoll with a set of crumpled bills in his mouth—the same bills that were previously in Mana's pockets. The golem had taken them just as it was liberated from its prison. Tiedoll laughed heartily as the bills were presented to him amidst Mana's outraged cries of betrayal.

Mana was going to be just as much fun to tease as Yuu, thought Tiedoll, wiping the tears of mirth from his eyes. He raised a hand to quiet the child and to his surprise, Mana's indignant yells ceased. It never worked with Yuu and Daisya. "Think nothing of it, Mana."

"But sir, I cannot just let you pay for my master's bills!" shouted Mana.

"Your master's negligence should not have to fall upon his blameless pupil's shoulders." Tiedoll's tone was accusatory towards the absent General Cross.

But Mana was not so easily swayed. "Please, let me find work so that I can pay them off myself!"

Tiedoll's glasses nearly fell off his face. "I cannot let a son of mine do such a thing when he is still so young! I forbid it, Mana."

Something in what Tiedoll said made Mana stiffen in horror. "Your… son…?"

"Yes Mana," smiled Tiedoll comfortingly even as he let the cat out of the bag. "I wish to officially adopt you as my son… if you would have me as a father."

Complicated silence stretched between them, thick and endless. Tiedoll stared at the child questioningly, half-pleading and confused by the boy's lack of a reply. When the silence stretched for too long, he reached out a hand and clasped Mana's shoulder. "Was it something I said, my boy?"

The snowy child was startled out of his trance and reality came rushing back. "General, I am sorry, but… I am already burdening you enough! Taking me in as a son would only bring you misfortune like it brought--!"

Tiedoll clasped the boy to his chest in a comforting hug. This boy carried old wounds that still bled inside, that fact was clear. But he was determined to heal it. "You are not a burden, Mana. Don't you ever think of yourself that way!" said the bespectacled general, but he could see that the young boy remained unconvinced. Tiedoll could already see Mana and Kanda butting heads before the two of them have even met. Yet for such a young child, Tiedoll could not help but admire his strength. "Won't you be my son?"

Mana hesitated answering, but he averted his eyes in shame. "I… had a father who I loved very much. But then I caused him misfortune and he is no longer with me…"

"I am not asking to replace the father you love, my boy," smiled Tiedoll warmly. "I simply want you to be my son."

Isn't that the same thing, thought Mana, "Sir, I still cannot let you pay for Master's debts without giving anything in return. If I cannot work outside, then perhaps I can work for you instead?"

Tiedoll loosened his bear hug on the young boy to study his earnest face. "But you are still so young, Mana."

But in this statement, Mana found the glimmer of a compromise. "Then please let me start working when I reach fifteen years of age to return your generosity. During the years before then, I… will do my best to be your son."

Tiedoll's eyes widened at the second half of Mana's proposition, not even paying attention to the first half. He can live with that even if only for a few years. He was certain he can change the boy's mind later as long as Mana did not close himself off. Besides, Yuu always denies him as a father anyway. "I understand and I accept."

Mana smiled and allowed himself to be embraced by Tiedoll, who to his horror, was starting to cry. "Thank you… father." The unfamiliar word felt heavy and bitter on his tongue, like lies told before angels. But this would be enough… that person would not have wanted others to suffer. Despite himself, Mana relished in the affection the other man gave after having gone for so long without.

The moment was shattered by the opening of a door and an irritated voice. "Old man."

Mana glanced towards the sound of the voice and saw an older boy with the longest hair and darkest glare he had ever seen. The other boy's glare only grew fiercer.

Mana disliked him immediately.

--

End Chapter Two

--

Author's Note:

- Once again, thank you for all the lovely reviews. They provide me the motivation to move on with the story when nothing else seems to be able to. This story is going to go slow. I have no intention of rushing anything and I prefer to take my time when building up plots and character development. But at least Kanda will be present in the next chapter.

- For those of you wondering why Allen is calling himself 'Mana', well… you should already have an idea of why he's doing it, but I will delve into this issue more in later chapters. It will also provide further explanation as to why 'Mana' is so resistant in becoming Tiedoll's adopted son. As for 'Mana' working for Tiedoll when he is older… well, I have big plans for that.

- Next chapter: fights, hair-pulling, and a declaration of war.


	4. Chapter Three: Black as Ebony

Shirayuki

--

Chapter Three – Black as Ebony

--

Tiedoll felt the temperature in the garden drop a few degrees. Mana stiffened in his arms like a tightly wound spring and he smiled at the action. That meant Yuu was within range. He released Mana but kept a comforting—and slightly restraining—arm around the child's shoulders before turning towards the doorway. The familiar glare of his first adopted child was particularly fierce as he looked at his brother, thought Tiedoll cheerfully. "Yuu."

"Don't call me that, old man," snapped Kanda, but his eyes did not leave the white-haired boy. It was the brat Tiedoll had been gushing about all week. He looked just as small and weak as he expected.

Mana could feel Kanda's dark eyes boring intensely into him like he had just grown horns. He was tempted to tell the other boy that staring was rude, but the politeness ingrained in his system suppressed his outbursts. It was easier to school his face into a gentle smile than to immediately profess his disdain for the older boy's attitude.

"Yuu, this is Mana. He will be joining us from now on," said Tiedoll proudly. "Mana, this is Yuu. He is going to be your older brother."

"It's Kanda!" snapped the long-haired boy. There was something about the boy's smile that rubbed him the wrong way. It was too bright and too earnest. It was an artificial smile that held the power to topple even the strongest of defenses and Kanda could tell that this Mana has mastered it. Kanda could already tell that this Mana was going to be trouble. "Daisya and Marie have returned from the Academy. I'm heading off for training."

Tiedoll's good mood fell slightly. Although he wanted his sons to be able to do everything they wanted, he had not approved when Yuu declared that he was going to become an Exorcist of the Black Order—a tool in the unending war against the Noah clan. And yet, being a general himself, Tiedoll could not deny Yuu. But with rumors of the Noah Clan already crumbling from within, Tiedoll fervently hopes that his sons would never have to see battle. "Before you go Yuu, could you please escort Mana to the room he will be staying in?"

 Kanda glanced distastefully at Mana before turning his attention back to Tiedoll. "And which room is that, old man?"

"The white room closest to the music room," smiled Tiedoll as he nudged Mana forward. Mana looked up at Tiedoll with pleading eyes, but the man only gently patted his head. "Don't worry, my son. Yuu will no harm you despite what he says."

"Yes… father." Mana's soft voice came as a surprise to Kanda, who had been half-hoping that the snowy child's prior silence indicated that he was mute. That way, he wouldn't have had to go through the trouble of conversing with him. But he could also hear the slight disbelieving tone underlying the boy's words. Perhaps this wariness of Kanda would prevent unnecessary future interactions on their part. Kanda already had to deal with two idiots and a hyper rabbit. All of whom he was warned and prevented from skinning alive. Now he had to deal with a bean sprout who smiled too much. "Fine." He left without another word.

Mana picked up the remains of his suitcase as Timcanpy once again made itself comfortable against his snowy hair. But before he could excuse himself and hurry after Kanda, he felt Tiedoll gently rest a hand on his head. The sudden gesture caused Mana to glance up questioningly. The pride and genuine happiness on Tiedoll's face made Mana catch his breath in wonder. He had seen that expression before and it pierced his heart to realize that he hasn't forgotten.

"Mana," said Tiedoll. "I ask that you please keep what we spoke about just between us. Do not even think about it until the time comes. Be their brother as you are to be my son."

Although he wanted to argue, the same expression on Tiedoll's face forced Mana to accept his stipulations. "Yes, father."

"Thank you."

--

Mana closed the door leading to the garden behind him and sighed. The day was not even half-over but he already felt the chains of fatigue weighing his body down. Timcanpy's constant movement and rubbing against his hair also indicated that the golem was worried about him. But this was all too new to Mana. Before today, all he knew of generals was through General Cross, and thus the kindness and pride that shone like beacons from General Tiedoll was quite a shock. But he had time to think things through later.

The snowy-haired boy turned around and nearly slammed back against the door when he realized he was not alone. Mana had fully expected Kanda to have gone and left him to fend for himself, but the dark boy was there, standing impatiently across the room from him and looking like a predator whose territory had just been breached. Mana could feel the dark eyes rake across his figure in distaste. Ignoring his desire to escape the steely gaze, Mana let the familiar sanctuary of a smile wash over his features.

Without a word or gesture, Kanda pushed off the wall, pivoted and made his way out of the room. His only indication for Mana to follow him was to glance back in irritation when he realized that younger boy wasn't following. It said without words that he would not think twice in leaving him behind. Then he continued on out of the room.

Mana contemplated just watching Kanda widen the distance separating them as the other boy's proximity made Mana's young blood boil like a caged animal fighting for its survival. It was a rare feeling for Mana, but even rarer was the growing pressure in the back of his mind—the desire to not disappoint Tiedoll. Although it was partly out of duty and gratitude, the bespectacled general touched a chord in Mana that he hadn't realized still existed. For Tiedoll's sake, Mana would accept the situation.

He followed Kanda down the hallway and past several sets of doors until the long-haired boy stopped in front of one. Mana assumed this was his room when Kanda opened the door and stepped back.

"Is this my room?"

Kanda scoffed at question. "What do you think?"

Mana decided that he really disliked this boy, but a voice in his head kept reminding him of Tiedoll. "Thank you, Yuu." He made to enter into the room, but the length of live steel that buried itself on the wall centimeters from his head swiftly impeded his progress. Mana looked down the length of the sword coolly to see that Kanda's irritation had given way to outright rage.

"This is the only warning you will get from me," snarled Kanda. "I will kill you if you call me by that name."

"But General Tiedoll introduced you to me by that name," replied Mana as he ducked under the katana to enter into the room.

Kanda scowled. "You don't always have to listen to what that senile old man says, bean sprout…" Kanda's tirade lost momentum when a brilliant flash of light shone as Mana entered into the room. The light streaming through the window reflected from snowy locks, giving Mana the illusion of being surrounded by a halo of light. In the small white room, the boy looked at home, at peace. Kanda quickly stamped out the small feeling of wonder that welled up inside him. After all, the shining child was a fraud.

"My name is Mana, not bean sprout," replied Mana mildly as Timcanpy left his head and flew towards Kanda. Despite his irritation, Mana still managed to form a smile.

"Che, 'bean sprout' is enough for a fraud and a liar like you," growled Kanda as he pulled Mugen from the wall and sheathed it. "No one who smiles as much as you do could possibly be telling the truth."

Mana visibly tensed as his smile fell at the cutting remarks. It was not possible for someone he had just met to see so clearly through him. Taking the insult into stride, Mana did what he knew he excelled in—denial. "That's a rather rude thing to say to someone you just met. And as I said, my name is Mana."

"And as I mentioned before, 'bean sprout' is enough," snapped Kanda as he made to turn away.

Timcanpy was a rather mild-mannered golem, despite being the golem of General Cross. It knew its likes and its dislikes, and what it liked, it guarded fiercely. Tim regarded Mana as its favorite human, and because of this, was acutely aware of his feelings. Feelings that the girly-haired boy just trampled upon. Tim bared its fangs. This boy fell easily in its dislike category and that meant war.

With a speed faster than the naked eye could follow, Timcanpy hurtled towards Kanda. Before either boy could notice, it had fastened its jaws on the swaying tips of Kanda's long hair and pulled hard.

Kanda froze mid-step when pain suddenly exploded from his scalp. He was used to injury, but none of his opponents ever had the gall to pull on his hair. That was off-limits without having to be voiced out. And this bastard of a bean sprout just signed his death certificate. His face contorted to that of a savage animal as Kanda whipped around to face Mana, Tim also whipping around out of sight with the motions of Kanda's hair. "You fucking bean sprout!"

If Kanda had been thinking clearly, he would have realized that the continuous pain on his scalp and Mana standing ten feet away simply did not correctly calculate with his earlier assumption. But once he drew Mugen, Kanda was too far gone in his rage to rein in both his bloodthirst and his common sense. He charged at Mana, intent upon exacting revenge on the younger boy.

Mana knew that he disliked Kanda for a reason, but when he saw the stoic boy charging at him with sword drawn, dislike gave way to fear and the instinct for self-preservation took over. He dropped his suitcase and dodged to the right just as the blade swiped down to cut him. To Mana's horror, he caught a glimpse of the reason for Kanda's anger when he saw Timcanpy attached firmly to the ends of his long, black hair. "Yuu, wait!"

His pleas only served to future enflame the older boy's wrath. "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that, bean sprout!" roared Kanda as he sliced a chair out of the way. "I'll kill you!"

Mana's fear was slowly making way for anger as Kanda continued to decimate the room. Mana, who has done nothing but be polite and courteous, only met violence and abuse from Kanda. And now, the boy was after his blood for something he did not do. "Stop acting like an animal!" Mana rolled to the left and made to grab at Tim just as Kanda began to bear down upon him.

"Shut up!" snarled Kanda as he swung Mugen in a quick, horizontal slash, striking the wall and leaving a sizeable mark against the beautiful, painted surface. What he did not expect was the still, shocked figure of his target to freeze within range of his attack. Confused, Kanda stopped his blade within inches of Mana's neck. His confusion only increased when he realized that Mana's attention wasn't even directed towards him any longer. "Bean sprout?"

The pressure on Kanda's head suddenly ceased when Timcanpy let go, realizing that something else was bothering Mana. Kanda glared at the golem that hissed at him threateningly before settling itself on Mana's head, a few strands of long, green-black hair still caught between its bared fangs. Finally comprehending what happened, Kanda felt the unfamiliar twinge of guilt—it wasn't Mana who pulled on his hair after all. But before his sudden case of repentance could escalate into an apology leaving his lips, pride and fury viciously stamped it out. It was the brat's golem after all, thought Kanda as he sheathed Mugen.

Mana's vision grew white with rage as he stared at the ruined painting on the wall. Across the beautiful landscape was the long scratch of Kanda's blade, marring the pristine surface with its underlying desire for destruction. It was too much like something _they_ would do. Tiedoll's art, lovingly painted for his son, was destroyed.

Having thought of the boy as weak and spineless, Kanda was caught off-guard when the full force of Mana's fist slammed into his stomach then his face, sending him clear across the room. Not even in his sleep was Kanda so completely overwhelmed by an attack that all he could do was mindlessly stare as the furious figure stalked towards him.

Mana's eyes were wide open but unseeing in his rage. With a strength belied by his size, he bent down, grabbed the older boy by his collar, and pulled him up to whisper dangerously into his ear. "You will regret that, Kanda." After the five hissed words of warning, Mana dragged the frozen Kanda and threw him out of the door. A startled Daisya and Marie who were waiting to greet their new brother on the other side were bowled over when the full force of Kanda's dead weight were thrown into them.

"W-wait!"

Without a word of acknowledgement to the three boys who were looking at him with shock, Mana slowly closed the door and collapsed where he stood, causing Timcanpy to flutter about him in distress.

Now, he felt even more drained than before.

--

End Chapter Three

--

Author's Note:

- D.Gray-man does not belong to me. Gotta state the disclaimer at least once to cover my butt.

- Just a short chapter for this update. It's just to introduce the two boys into each other and give a taste of what is going to fuel their interactions for the next… oh say, five years. To those of you who wanted a longer chapter, I do apologize, but trust that there is a method to my madness. In the past, I have written chapters about 6k words to almost 10k words long, but it took me forever to update. And then I lose interest. Shorter chapters allow me to finish them quickly, update just as quickly, and keep my ideas and interest flowing without sacrificing writing quality. Ideally at least.

- As I'm currently actively writing two stories in under different genres, I may be a little slower updating _Shirayuki__._ _Zaibatsu_, my Katekyo Hitman Reborn! fanfic is just a little bit more interesting to me (and apparently my readers) right now. But trust that I'll try to update frequently. And to those of you who are reading both… well… you lucked out then. (:


End file.
